Heirs of Peace
by Queen-Addict
Summary: A few years after the end of the war, Azula's son and Toph's daughter meet. No flames. Read and give Constuctive Crit. Thanks a billion! Updates! Chapter 4 is here! YAY!
1. Chapter 1

**C**hapter **O**ne

"Oh! She's adorable, Toph!"

"What does she look like?"

"Huh, a lot like you…. Except for her eyes…."

"What color are they Sokka?"

"A weird gold-y brown…"

"Toph, I have just one question…"

"Yes?"

"Who was the father?"

"Don't ask me that, twinkle-toes."

-----

Three years ago, the Avatar, an air bender named Aang, destroyed the princess of the fire nation, Azula. Therefore creating a peace treaty between the nations. Prince Zuko took the throne with his wife, Mai. So far, they remained childless. However, they did have an heir. Coda, son of Azula, was the re-formed fire nation's prince.

Katara, now Queen of the South Pole was happily married to a water bender warrior and had three children, two boys and a girl. She raised them in peace and taught them the ways of all nations. She regularly visits her brother and friends in the Earth Kingdom.

Still bachelors, Sokka and Aang are still rejected by the female gender, although, the girls were a little more gentle letting Aang down than Sokka. With Sokka, it was more of a slap on the face and a boot in the pants.

That leaves Toph. She took to a small cottage on the border of the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. She lives mostly by herself, except when Sokka, Aang and sometimes Katara come visiting.

-----

**Sixteen Years Later**

Nineteen year old Coda paced his uncle's palace corridors waiting for something to entertain him.

"Young Coda, something bothers you?" Coda's great-uncle asked.

"Nothing, sir. I just have nothing to do."

"Nothing to do?! You could take a walk, smell the flowers or play with the dogs!"

"But those things are boring!"

"Nonsense. You could come up to my apartments and have tea…?"

"Uh, no thanks. Maybe I will go take a walk."

"Alright, but if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Right." Of course Prince Coda had no such intensions of visiting Iroh.

Out in the palace gardens, Coda climbed the trees for lack of anything better to do. In the highest branches, he had a wonderful view of the woods on the other side of the garden wall. The majestic trees clouded in smoke as the wi- _Wait,_ he thought. _Why is there_ _smoke…?_ He vaulted over the wall to investigate.

What he found was a camp made completely of stone. _Earth bender._

A small campfire burned in the middle. A platypus-rabbit baked on a spit just above the hungry flames. He couldn't take his eyes away from the dancing fire. Their blues tongues barely licked the animal. He continued to stare until he heard humming coming closer. Shocked out of his peaceful state, Coda jumped into the trees just before a girl, perhaps two years younger than him, came into the clearing humming a mournful tune. Instead of arresting her on the spot for trespassing, Coda decided to watch her and wait for her to notice him.

The sun dipped low in the sky and she had yet to notice him. He pinched himself to keep from falling asleep.

She went into her stone tent for the night and he started to unwillingly doze.

Dawn seeped under his eyelids and woke him up. Coda looked down at the stone tent, relived when it looked like the girl hadn't woken up yet. Sighing, he turned to look the other way, and found himself face to face with the girl.

"Ahhh!" he cried as he fell out of the tree. Smiling smugly, the girl came down from her earth-wave.

"What were you doing watching me?"

"What was I doing watching you?! I think the real question is, what do you think you're doing camping in the Fire Nation?"

"Holidaying."

"Holidaying."

"Yes, in this particular spot."

"I could arrest you for trespassing."

"But you won't."

"How are you so sure of that?"

"If you really were going to arrest me, you would've by now, princeling."

It was the truth. He was fascinated by this girl. Who, though knowing his status, was not intimidated by him. Nor did she show the proper respect, but he was willing to let her go for that one. No, he was most intrigued by her eyes. They were a strange color for one of the Earth Kingdom.


	2. Chapter 2

**C**hapter **T**wo

Coda and the girl both froze in their argument as they felt the pounding of feet shake the earth.

"Oh no," Coda said helplessly.

"What is it?" she shot back disdainfully.

"Rough Rhinos."

"Care to tell me what, in the name of the Avatar, Rough Rhinos are?!"

"They patrol the borders-"

"And what part of peace don't you fire people get?!?"

"- and make sure people stay in line-"

"Well, you're their prince, so you can tell them to stop,"

"- and when they are on patrol, they're usually in a frenzied state, so there's no real reasoning with them."

"Marvelous."

Coda looked at her nervously. Sure, she was an earth-bender, but there were probably at least thirty Rough Rhinos and only one of her. He felt useless, being unable to bend. His mother had been right; he was a disgrace to the royal family.

The pounding was coming closer, and all the earth bender girl did was stand there. When the Rough Rhinos were almost upon them, she stamped her foot, and there was silence. Defending silence.

"What did you do to them…?" Coda asked, almost scared of the answer.

"Come see,"

All Prince Coda could see was heads. Snarling, foaming at the mouth, heads.

"What did you do to them?!?" he repeated, scandalized.

"I solved our problem."

"You did not! All you did was stick them in the ground!"

"Want to join them?"

Her tone didn't say whether she was serious or not, but he wasn't willing to risk it. He liked his body to be above ground.

Still, he had his pride. It was his downfall.

"Bring it on, girly."

"With relish."

He pulled a short sword out from its sheave, and went into a fighting stance. She mimicked his position lifting rocks into the air. Shouting battle cries, they both started combat. Sounds of metal on rock echoed through the air as Coda sliced through her plummeting rocks. Shrieking in frustration as he cut through her assault, she took a fist sized rock and aimed for his head. He fell down, unconscious, as her weapon found its target. Her victory dance was cut short, however, when she noticed his bleeding skull.

"Damn."

**AN: I know it's short, and I promise the others will be longer, but I liked where this cut off. Stay tuned.**


	3. Chapter 3

**C**hapter **T**hree

Coda cracked open an eye through the dried blood on his face. _How? Where am I?_

"You're awake. Good." Came a sharp voice.

He looked over to see a woman staring into some spot on the opposite wall. "Who are you? Where am I?" He asked, looking around at his surroundings; a small house with bare walls, a mere two windows, and a small cot which he was lying on.

"Toph. You're in my house."

"Toph? Toph Bei Fong? The hero from Ba Sing Se?"

She looked in his direction with a tight smile. "One of them."

Their conversation was cut short by the door banging open and a shaved head with a large blue arrow poked around the corner.

"Hey! Who's this? I'm Aang."

"You're getting dirt on my floor. This is Prince Coda."

"Your floor's made of dirt. Prince, huh? Of what?"

"Fire nation, sir."

"Huh. Toph, is Katara coming for dinner?"

"Yes. She's cooking."

"Toooooppphhhh! Aaaaannng!" Sokka ran into the house, nearly knocking Aang off his feet. He grabbed Toph around the middle and squeezed.

"Let go of me if you want to remain above the ground." He let go in a hurry, dropping her on the floor.

"Klutz." She mumbled.

He managed to look sheepish. Barely.

"Hey, Sokka, what's that on your face?" Aang asked.

Looking over, Coda saw a red-ish mark in the shape of a hand print.

"Oh, uh, well…."

"Another girl turned you down, Sokks?"

"I told you, Toph, don't call me Sokks."

"Sokka, you never answered the question," Aang said in a sing-song voice.

"What question? What happened to your face Sokka?" A new voice interrupted.

"That's the question, Katara!"

"Just some girl, okay?" Sokka answered in a hushed whisper.

"I knew it!" the earth-bending girl from the forest entered the house and punched the air.

"Aithne, calm down." Toph stared in the girl's direction with a frown on her face.

"Oh, mother."

"Don't 'oh mother' me, missy. Set the table, and then show our guest his room."

Aithne mumbled sarcastically as she set about her charge, taking fine silverware out and laying it on the table.

"Done. Come on, princeling,"

-----

Aithne led Coda out into the yard. "Where do you want your room?"

"What?"

"Over here?" She stamped her foot and made a small stone hut in the right-hand corner of the yard. "Or here?" she moved it to a place beside the flower garden. "Or –"

"How 'bout right here," he pointed at the ground in front of him.

"Oh. Sure." She replied as the stone hut moved to right in front of them.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Smells of roast boar-q-pine and mashed yam and potatoes wafted through the open window of the main house. His stomach gurgled loudly. Aithne laughed as Coda's face turned the color of a tomato. "C'mon you, lets go get dinner."

-----

Dinner for Coda was awkward; however Aang and Sokka were soon exchanging stupid jokes which they both thought were hilarious, whilst Toph and Katara looked on disgusted. Aithne covered her own laughter by drinking large amounts of water and choking on it. Coda just smiled weakly.

-----

After dinner, Coda and Aithne were outside picking herbs when he asked, "Aithne, your mother is Toph right?" She nodded distractedly.

"Right. So who's your father? The Avatar?"

She let out a bark of laughter. "Hardly Uncle Aang. I don't know who he is. I've never met him and mother never talks about him. I just know it isn't Uncle Aang or Sokka." Her voice hinted at regret of not knowing.

"Sokka what?" Sokka asked.

"Oh, nothing Uncle Sokks." Her voice instantly turning back to it's laughing, cheerful self. Coda began to feel suspicious about her cheery nature and wondered if it was all just an act.

"How many times have I told you and your mother not to call me Sokks?"

"One hundred and ninety two times."

"And that tells us that…?"

Aithne gave him a fake blank look. "Do tell me again, Uncle Sokks, I so enjoy hearing it."

"I'm sure. Fine," he relented at her puppy eyes. "Aithne, never _ever_ call me Sokks again or I'll pound you to a pulp! Okay?"

"Yessir, Uncle Sokks." She gave him a sarcastic salute.

"Uhuh. Toph wants you to take the boy back where you found him unconscious."

"Found me unconscious?!? She's the reason I _was_ unconscious!"

"Is that so Aithne?" Sokka turned to look at her as she was trying, unsuccessfully, to slip out their gazes.

"Erm… Well, um… You know Uncle Sokks…"

"Oh, please, enlighten me."

"Oh? What's that mother? Oh sorry, I have to go guys, see you later!" Aithne said the last to Coda and Sokka as she left with the pretended summons from Toph.

"Women." Sokka lamented. "They're such a mystery."

"Yeah," Coda agreed looking at the spot Aithne had disappeared from. _I wonder why she pretends to be so cheery… I wonder who her father was… _

**AN: Yes, yes… Who is Aithne's father…? If you think you know, feel free to guess. I know it wasn't much of a cliff hanger, but more will certainly happen in the next chapter; however, if you guys want another chapter, I require five more reviews.**


	4. Chapter 4

**C**hapter **F**our

Prince Coda and Aithne walked back to their battle field in silence. Aithne looked at the dried blood on the grass.

"Heh, so I guess you don't wanna have another go, then?"

"Decidedly not, thank you very much."

"Look, Coda, I'm sorry about the whole fighting thing… I kinda lost control…"

"Uh, no problem… The waterbending lady fixed me right up."

"Her name is Katara…"

"Right, so… Hey… You feel that?" he asked as the ground began to shake. "Oh, no…"

"What?"

"Rough Rhinos."

"Yah huh. I'm trying to be serious here, Princeling."

"Me too." He looked about nervously.

Aithne opened her mouth to retort when something flew past Coda's ear and pierced her arm. She looked down in confusion at the dart, and then her eyes started to go blank. It looked like slow motion to Coda as Aithne crumpled to the ground. He felt something sting the back of his neck. He reached back and felt another dart lodged in his neck. His vision started to go fuzzy around the edges and Coda noticed the ground rushing up to meet him, but he didn't feel any impact. The grass tickled his face and he was vaguely aware of gruff hands pulling at his arms. His eye lids flicked open and he saw one the men nudging Aithne with his baton. Coda opened his mouth to protest this, but all that came out was a muffled groan.

"Hey! This one's waking up!"

Coda gasped as he felt another sharp sting in his neck and felt his body go completely limp. The world went dark.

-----

White. The color was blinding. Coda sat up to find himself in his bed. _Was it all really just a dream? _ As he pondered this, the door opened, revealing his aunt.

"Coda... Are you... Feeling better?"

"Yes, Aunt Mai. Why do you ask?"

She looked at him surprised. "Because you have been unconscious for three days now."

"Unconscious? Why?"

"You were the target of a rebel attack. The Earth kingdom still wishes to gain power over us." But something about those two sentences didn't ring true for Coda.

"Luckily, our Rough Rhino's were able to catch one of the rebels." For some strange reason, Coda felt angry about this news, but he was unable to pinpoint why. His aunt misread the look of outrage of his face for that of disbelief.

"Don't worry, Coda, dear. The guards thrashed the girl soundly. Your uncle made sure of it."

"Where is she?" He asked.

"Down in the dungeons. Why do you ask?"

"I have to see her. Now."

**AN: Yes, a wee bit short... But I got all the reviews I wanted! Thank you all.**

**I've been having a bit of writers' block, so it took me forever to write this chapter. If you feel so inclined the review button won't bite. Hopefully I'll get the next chapter written soon. Until then, ciao!**


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